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An invitation out for dinner with friends is always welcome.
A few places were suggested but, having been refurbished and with none of us having eaten there since it reopened with a new menu, The Deerhound was the place for us.
A table for four was booked. We may not have needed to as it wasn’t overly busy for a Friday night.
Drinks served, we perused the menu and all opted for difference choices.
It wasn’t too difficult to see that coming: one of the party is pescatarian and one is among the fussiest eaters in the world with a constant desire to eat very plain food so that her palate is never surprised by anything. If you’ve ever wanted to see a steak cremated, she is your ideal dinner date. For her, the choice was difficult – fish and chips or burger, known staples in almost every restaurant in the island. She opted for the burger.
Those of us with slightly more adventurous tastes took longer to choose. There were so many options that it was not an easy choice for anyone.
Chicken rillettes, Thai salad, vegan tartine, flat-iron chicken thighs, Dingley Dell pork rib-eye, sweet potato curries…my mouth may be watering again now.
Orders placed, glasses topped up, our attention turned to the unwelcome visitors bothering us. Unfortunately for The Deerhound, like many places this year, they seemed to be plagued with flies on the evening we dined. They were on the table, the glasses, our legs. Unpleasant, but not the fault of the staff who were swatting flies away themselves as often as we were.
The interior did not seem to have changed too much from my memory of the last time I ate at The Deerhound.
But the fresh décor, new tables, chairs and colour scheme all combine to give an overall air of money having been invested. The outdoor area is nicely lit and would be a lovely place to sit for a drink, if we hadn’t chosen to visit on a night when it was raining.
The food came and the flies persisted, but they did not distract from our enjoyment.
The sweet potato, cauliflower, lentil and spinach curry came with a divine aroma. If you’re eating curry, you surely want to be able to smell it too, and it smelt delicious, with a rich orange colour to it.
The Guernsey crab and prawn linguini came with plenty of both, as well as a healthy serving of garlic and chilli. Good job I like both.
Burgers and steaks may be staple choices on the menu of most eateries, but that doesn’t mean they’re always cooked or presented well. In both cases, both guests were pleased and sated with their meaty choices.
Enjoying an after-dinner drink, we began chatting with some other guests, who turned out to be the chef and sous chef.
Those unwelcome guests still flying around were bothering them too. Explaining how they have tried different methods of eradicating them, they were clearly as frustrated by them as we were while eating.
The food was plentiful and tasty. The linguini came with plenty of seafood and a nice bit of spice. The lentil and sweet potato curry tasted as good as it smelt. The steak and burger were both cooked to perfection.
This article was first published in CONNECT, Express' sister publication. The latest edition of CONNECT can be read HERE.
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